NKU, Thomas More launch accelerated law program

Thomas More College is joining a Northern Kentucky University program that will allow its students to earn a law degree faster.

NKU’s Chase College of Law will offer its 3+3 Accelerated Law Program to Thomas More students along with NKU undergraduates. The program allows students to complete three years of undergraduate studies and three years of law school to receive an undergraduate degree and Juris Doctor degree in six years.

The program, which was created at NKU’s Highland Heights campus in October 2015, allows eligible students from Thomas More’s campus in Crestview Hills to reduce their education costs by combining their final year of undergraduate studies with their first year of law school.

“We are committed to expanding access to education in our community, and we are proud to collaborate with Thomas More College on new opportunities for high-achieving undergraduate students to also pursue a law degree at Chase College of Law through our fast-growing 3+3 program,” NKU president Geoffrey Mearns said in a statement. “Students who participate in this program not only save tuition but are also able to begin their legal careers a year sooner.”

While other law schools offer similar programs to the 3+3 model, they’re typically limited to undergraduates at that specific university.

“As the future of higher education and legal education changes, the colleges and universities that are willing to collaborate will have the advantage over those who are not,” Thomas More president David Armstrong said in a statement. “This partnership with Northern Kentucky University’s Chase Law School is the kind of forward-thinking collaboration that will position our students and institutions well for future success.”